I have been in contact recently with a great guy, Robert Manolson, a Career Development Professional based in Edmonton, Alberta. We had a great chat last night about how the priorities of my generation entering the work force are different to that of generations before.

I am really excited about my generation entering the professional world as I feel we are realizing how important it is to be in a career that we love doing, one that challenges us, and we are demanding more out of a career than just a pay check. As we enter the work place with this increased awareness, we immediately start questioning everything, seeking a greater meaning in all that we do, something that makes sense. To be in a situation in which we feel like we are contributing to some greater good, some vision that we can buy into. How is what I am doing helping the world, helping those around me, helping my neighbourhood, how can I be more socially responsible, what can I do to make a difference?

Bringing this mind set into the work force early on in our careers will have huge implications on society and will greatly contribute to an increased overall level of happiness in the work place. In the process, this will inherently lead to increased productivity and positive personal development. Very cool!

I have also had a recent revelation that I will have to tell you about but I am having difficulty getting my thoughts in some coherent form so I will have to get back to you. If I get my phone number up on the site before I make the post, give me a call and I’ll explain it to you!

So I am heading to Edmonton the week of April 2nd, and am looking for a ride! If you have any ideas, suggestions, or know anyone who is heading anywhere in that direction, please let me know!

Thanks,

-Sean

Wow, that was a long day of volleyball! School doesn’t even last eight hours, so trying to hold the interest of 50 kids aged 10-15 spending their spring break at a volleyball camp was defiinitely a bit of a challenge. We had some fun with it though, and I am sure they will be quite tired tomorrow… I know I will be!

If you are in the Vancouver area check out Breakfast Television on CityTV tomorrow (Wednesday) as they are coming in to film a segment for their morning show. Then in the afternoon, a tv crew from ShawTV is coming in to see what I am up to this week. Should make for a good day and make the hours go by a little quicker.

Here is the interview about One Week Job that I did on my first day last week with Urban Rush:

Other Week Two video we filmed for the show

Until next time,

-Sean

It’s spring break this week with high schools throughout British Columbia and so Volleyball BC is putting on a “Blue Hawaii Spring Break Camp” where I will be one of the head coaches. I spent the day organizing the schedule for the camp and start tomorrow morning at 9am, followed by 8 hours of volleyball for three consecutive days! Wow, those kids are going to be tired.

Citytv’s Breakfast Television will be there on Wednesday morning to do a segment for their show, so that should be fun.

Just confirmed my job for Week Five today. I will be working as a columnist with a well known daily newspaper published in major cities across Canada. I will tell you more about which one later on in the week, but wanted to hear what ‘One Week Job’ aspects or themes you want to read about on your way to work next week. For example, interviewing people in unusual jobs, interviewing others in my generation how they see their future relationship between their soical lives and careers or what they expect from a career situation, money vs. happiness trade-off… etc. You can email me, or just leave your thoughts in the comment section.

Thanks!

-Sean

I had a great week up at Mount Seymour! Everyone I was working with love their jobs and were really easy to get a long with. This made for a fun atmosphere and I had some great talks with co-workers about careers, decisions and life in general.

I hadn’t really discovered snowshoeing before, and now that I have, it is definitely something I will be doing again and am even thinking about getting my own pair!

If you are looking for a fun way to get some exercise and get outdoors, I would be sure to get up to Mount Seymour for a snowshoe tour before the season is over. The guides are great, the scenary is awesome, and you will also get to try out that great hot chocolate I have been talking about! They have all sorts of programs, check them out here:
Mt. Seymour Snoeshoe Programs

Here is a video of an interview that I did with Garry Rathbone, the IT guy turned Snowshoe Guide that I spoke about in an earlier post. It is pretty interesting and he has some great things to say:

As for next week, Week Four, I will be working with Volleyball BC and helping coach a kids volleyball camp for the week. I was hestitant to take the offer at first, as it is something that I have previous experience with and so is not too big of a leap for me, but it is something I enjoy doing and will have fun with!

I will most likely start heading East in the next couple of weeks, perhaps make a stop in Edmonton then I have a job offer in Quebec for mid-April so I will be heading out that way.

How you ask? Good question, anybody willing to sponsor the project out there check out the ‘sponsors‘ page. I think I will be using a combination of ride-sharing, bus, and perhaps some good old fashioned hitch hiking. Who knows really, but I am sure it will be interesting!

Send your offers my way! Anybody out there have any connections with a Sled Dog company, or know any fisherman?

-Sean

It was an absolutely beautiful day up on the mountain yesterday; fresh snow and the sun was shining bright! I think what made it even better is that I am finally getting over a cold that has been with me for at least a week and my energy is finally coming back.

I thoroughly enjoyed my day working up at Mount Seymour and just kept thinking as I was snowshoeing around, “Wow, this really is a great job!”

Here is a video of what I was up to:

In the morning I was helping with stuff in the shop: sorting out snowshoes, housekeeping, getting the hot chocolate ready (man that hot chocolate is good!), and in the afternoon I helped out with a program and went out snowshoeing with a group of grade 6/7’s. It was actually a good thing that I went because one of the kids got hurt so I had to lead the group back down the hill, while the other guide administered first aid.

I was supposed to be heading towards Nelson, BC this weekend for Week Four, yet that has now been changed. I do have some other options, yet still have not decided. So please send any offers or ideas my way if you have them!

Thanks!

-Sean

I was doing trail maintenance yesterday morning with Garry, a forty something year old who recently moved to Vancouver this year from England. Garry has worked many successful jobs in his time, has even owned his own company, to his last job where he was working as a software developer for an IT firm.

Now what does Garry do you ask?

Well, he is working as a snowshoe guide for a local ski mountain (Mount Seymour) just outside of Vancouver, BC and he couldn’t be happier!!

Funny enough, after finding out I was the One Week Job guy, Garry said he had seen an article about the project in his local paper and told me that it struck a chord with him when he read it. After speaking with him, I now realize why.

It is so great to meet somebody like Garry! I guess I like it so much too because it re-affirms my beliefs about how important it is to be doing something you love. To hear it first hand from somebody who has lived enjoyable work situations and not so great ones, just makes it all the more real. To make the move from secure positions in England to starting a new life with his wife here in Vancouver, Canada must have taken so much courage and he says that many back home including his father still think that he is crazy!

Crazy? I am not so sure, I just met the guy. One thing I can tell you though, is that he is happy!

[UPDATE: See an interview with Garry in the 'interviews' section]

-Sean

It was a beautiful sunny day up at Mount Seymour; a perfect day to spend outside snowshoeing! I must say though that I am pretty exhausted after spending the better part of the day walking up and down through the forest accompanied by high school students.

Tomorrow will not be as exciting as I will be inside the office doing some inventory stuff, yet I do get to serve hot chocolate when the kids come back in, so there is something to look forward to!

Had a great talk today with one of the snowshoe guides who used to be a software developer for an IT firm. I will tell you about it tomorrow, yet for now I got to head out to an interview with a Vancouver paper, then it’s bedtime!

-Sean